The present invention relates generally to wheeled vehicle construction and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a trailer having sides which include a combination of extruded panel and sheet material.
Trailer walls have been constructed using sheet material in the past. Recently, it has become known that certain advantages are obtained by using hollow extruded panels in trailer wall construction. These advantages include, but are not limited to, increased strength, puncture resistance, wear resistance and aesthetic qualities.
An example of trailer wall construction utilizing hollow extruded panels is found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/112,489, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference.
It will be readily appreciated, however, that sheet material still has certain advantages over extruded panels in trailer wall construction. Sheet material is less expensive than extruded panels, and can weigh less than extruded panels. Sheet material can be readily attached to other components of the wall construction without use of complex geometries or unconventional fastening methods.
Therefore, it may be seen that improvements are needed in the art of trailer wall construction. It is accordingly among the objects of the present invention to provide such improvements.